Report: Paul Pierce May Not Return To The Celtics

Paul Pierce like any aging star in sports is now faced with the decline in his skills, the possibility of his career ending, and most importantly, wondering when and where it will end.

Pierce is aware that many a great athlete has ended his career in a different city. Pierce is prepared for that, so now the waiting game is set to begin.

Pierce could easily retire, and enjoy the privilege of playing for one singular franchise, and going out on his terms. Pierce wants to play a few more years, so now he’s stuck with the fact that he might play elsewhere.

According to Yahoo Sports, Greg Dickerson, a sideline reporter with CSNNE is reporting that close to Paul Pierce are suggesting that Pierce doesn’t believe he’ll be a Celtic next season.

Dickerson for his part, doesn’t think Pierce will be a Celtic anymore either.

“I don’t think they will (bring Pierce back),” Dickerson said Sunday on CSNNE. “And I know that the company that Paul Pierce hangs around in, they do not believe – and I don’t think Paul Pierce believes – that he is going to be brought back next year at $15 million. I know for a fact that people around Paul Pierce have pretty much resigned themselves to the fact that he’s played his final game in a Boston Celtics uniform. Again, Paul wants to stay – obviously for $15 million, but he wants to finish his career in a Celtics uniform.”

“If Paul’s gone, I think without a doubt Kevin Garnett is gone – either by retirement or he finally decides to waive his no-trade clause, and the Celtics maybe work something out with a (Los Angeles Clippers) team,” said Dickerson. “But the list is real short; the teams that Kevin Garnett would go to, there might be two of them on it, and they both might be the Clippers and (Los Angeles) Lakers.”

Pierce can be bought out for $5 million, and you have to believe that Danny Ainge may want to start over. He has some good young pieces on the Celtics now with Avery Bradley, Jeff Green, Jared Sullinger, and the returning Rajon Rondo.

Ainge is banking on the allure of the Celtics jersey being able to lure a free agent or two in after Pierce and Garnett both come off the books.